Self-closing laundry bag



Nov. 5, 1968 A. POKRAS SELF-CLOSING LAUNDRY BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1967 Nov. 5, 1968 A. POKRAS 3,409,063

SELF-CLOSING LAUNDRY BAG I Filed Jan. 4, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,409,063 SELF-CLOSING LAUNDRY BAG Adolph Pokras, Mequon, Wis., assignor to Will Ross, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Jan. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 607,223 6 Claims. (Cl. 150-3) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The bag is formed from a plainly rectangular blank, one end portion of which normally flatwise overlies the upper portion of the front wall and front portions of the side walls and which can be flipped over the top of the bag to close it. Integral triangular tab portions at the bottom of each side wall provide grasping loops and promote drying.

This invention relates to laundry bags for the collection of soiled linen and the like in hospitals and other institutions, and refers more particularly to improvements in self-closing bags of that type.

The general object of this invention is to provide a selfclosing laundry bag formed substantially entirely from a single rectangular piece of fabric, having a cape which normally provides a downwardly opening external pocket on the upper portion of the bag by which the bag can be suspended from a chair back or a suitable rack and which is invertable over the top of the bag to provide a closure therefor, said bag being so formed that loops are provided at its bottom by which the bag can be held upside doWn and lifted for emptying.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a self-closing laundry bag of the character described which can be formed from a single rectangular piece of fabric but which nevertheless has no bulky multiple thickness seams or other portions that would dry slowly and tend to collect dirt.

It is also a specific object of this invention to provide a laundry bag of the character described having a flat bottom, so as to be capable of standing alone when filled, and

having a rectangular cross section so as to be economical of space, but which can nevertheless be fabricated with a minimum of labor and materials.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention, constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of the bag of this invention, shown folded flat for storage;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the bag of this invention in open, upright condition, as during filling, with one of its loop forming tabs shown disconnected from its adjacent side wall;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the bag in its closed condition with its cape member inverted;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the bag in front elevation, particularly showing the loop forming portions at the bottom thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view on a reduced scale of a rectangular piece of fabric from which the bag is fabricated,

showing the lines along which the piece is folded in formation of the bag.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the bag 5 of this invention is formed from a single piece of a fabric such as heavy cotton duck, folded and connected to provide a front wall 6, a rear wall 7, a pair of opposite side walls 8, a bottom wall 9, and a cape or pocket member 10.

The piece or blank 11 from which the bag is formed is plainly rectangular and thus requires the very minimum of cutting. The bottom wall 9 of the bag is formed from a rectangular portion 9' of the blank which is intermediate its shorter edges 12 and is spaced inwardly from its longer edges 13. The cape comprises an end portion 10' of the blank, extending entirely across the same. Each of the side walls 8 of the bag comprises a front half 16 which is continuous with the front wall 6 of the bag and a rear half 17 which is continuous with the rear wall 7, and the two side wall halves 16 and 17 at each side of the bag are connected along a medial seam 18 that extends the full height of the bag. The two side wall halves 16 and 17 comprising each side wall 8 are formed from marginal portions 16' and 17' of the blank along one longitudinal edge 13 thereof. Each longitudinal edge is thus connected upon itself to provide one of the medial seams 18.

At the junction of each side wall 8 with the bottom wall 9 of the bag the piece from which the bag is formed is folded upon itself along lines 19 which extend obliquely from the bottom corners of the bag to the longitudinal edge of the piece, to define a double-thickness triangular tab 20 at each side of the bag having its base at the line of junction of the bottom wall and its adjacent side wall. The longitudinal edge 13 of the blank is connected upon itself all along this tab, so that the medial seam 18 along each side wall continues through its adjacent triangular tab, bisecting the same from its base to its apex.

In the finished bag (compare FIGURES 2 and 3) the apex portion of each triangular tab 20 is strongly secured to its adjacent side wall, as at 21, along the medial seam of said side wall and at a distance above the bottom of the bag, so that the tab tends to flatwise overlie the side wall. However the remainder of each triangular tab is free of the side wall, so as to be available as a loop or handle by which the bag can be grasped and held in an inverted position, as when it is being emptied, or by which the bag can be dragged.

Preferably the connection 21 of the apex portion of the triangular tab to the side wall is at a location slightly below where it would normally fall if all of the tab were in flatwise engagement with the side wall, so that the tab tends to bow outwardly away from the side wall, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. This slight spacing of the tab from the side Wall not only facilitates grasping the tab but insures ventilation between the tab and the side wall to promote fast drying of .all parts of the bag and to insure that it will remain sanitary.

Preferably a seam 22 extends along the base line of each tab, to connect the two thicknesses of material thereof and block communication between the interior of the bag and the space between the two thicknesses of material forming the tab. In other words, the seam 22 prevents the tab from acting as 'an undesired pocket to which the interior of the bag would open.

' The cape or pocket member 10, as already mentioned, comprises an end portion of the rectangular blank. In the finished bag this end portion is folded downwardly from the tops of the front wall and the front halves of the side walls and normally flatwise overlies them to provide a downwardly opening pocket which can be engaged over a chair back, a suitable rack, or the like to hold the bag in an upright open position in 'which it can be conven- -3 iently filled. The opposite end edges of the cape are connected all along their lengths to the medial seams 18, and triangular gussets 23 extend'downwardly from the lower corner portions of the cape tosaid seams to reinforce the connection between the cape and the side walls in those areas. I

As shown in FIGURE 3, the cape can be inverted or turned inside out across the top of the bag and over the rear wall to provide a very effective closure for the bag. To facilitate such inversion of the cape, the bag is provided with .a pair of straps 24, each fiatwise overlyingone of the side walls and underlying-the cape :when the latter is in its normal position. Each strap has a lower end which is strongly connected, as at 25, to the medial seam of its adjacent side wall at a location intermediate the top and bottom edges of the cape, and has an upper end-which is connected to the bag, as at 26,. adjacent to the top edge of the bag and at a distance from said medial scam. I As will be apparent from a comparison of FIGURES 2 and 3, the straps 24 can be grasped to facilitate inversion of the cape, which is readily accomplished by swinging the elbows outwardly, then flipping the cape over the top of the bag with a quick rearward movement of the wrists. With the cape inverted, the straps 24 are available as convenient handles for lifting or dragging the bag.

From the foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that this invention provides a self-closing laundry bag which can be produced with the utmost economy of labor and material, which has no dangling ties or other parts, which is in all respects convenient to use, and which dries quickly and tends to remain clean and sanitary.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A bag for soiled linen and the like having front, rear, side and bottom walls, formed from fabric or the like and characterized by:

(A) the front, rear, side and bottom walls of the bag being formed from a single elongated rectangular piece of material,

(1) the bottom wall of said bag being formed from a portion of said piece which is intermediate the shorter edges thereof and spaced inwardly from each of the longer edges of the piece, .and

(2) the side walls of the bag being formed from marginal portions of the piece along the longer edges thereof;

(B) each side wall of the bag having a front half which is continuous with the front wall and a rear half which is continuous with the rear wall and having a medial seam extending the full length of the bag along which said halves are joined and by which one of the longer edge portions of the piece is connected upon itself; (C) each marginal edge portion of the piece, at the junction of the side and bottom walls, being doubled upon itself along a fold.line which extends obliquely to the longer edge of the piece, so that the doubled marginal edge portions form a double thickness triangular tab at each side of the bottom wall; and

( D) the apex portion of each of said'triangular tabs being fastened to its adjacent'side' wall, along said seam therein, at a distance above the bottom wall, and the remainder of each tab being free of its adjacent side wall so that the tabs form loops which can serve as handles by which the bag can be held in an inverted position.

2. The bag of claim 1, further characterized by:

a rectangular cape normally flatwise overlying the front wall of the bag and .the front half of each side wall, said cape having an elongated upper edge connected along its length with the top edge of thebag and having opposite end edges connected to said medial .seams,. the lower edge of said cape being free so that said cape in its normal position provides a downwardly opening pocket by which the bag can be suspended, and is invertable over the top of the bag and the rear wall thereof to provide a closure for the bag.

3. The bag of claim 2, further characterized by:

the upper edge of said cape being continuous with the upper edge of the front wall and of the front half of each side wall.

. 4. The bag of claim 2, further characterized by:

a strap flatwise externally overlying the front half'of each side wall, beneath the cape, and having a lower end secured to the side of the bag adjacent to said medial seam, at a location intermediate the top and bottom edges of the cape, and having an upper endsecured to the bag adjacent to its top edge at a distance from said medial seam, said straps being available to facilitate inversion of the cape and for dragging the bag when the cape is inverted.

5. The bag of claim 1, further characterized by:

a seam 'along the base line of each of said triangular tabs, along the bottom of its adjacent side wall, defining a side edge of the bottom wall.

6. The bag of claim 5, further characterized by:

said medial seam in each side wall extending through its adjacent tab to the apex thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. 

